Larry scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Not really... I kind of figured it out on my own.”

  Menchi froze. Her mind reeled. ‘Self-taught?!’ She had entered naturally gifted individuals before, but Larry disc his own aura and honing it indepely was beyond impressive. After a brief pause, she let out a deep breath and chuckled, “Well, the world is a big pce. I guess anything’s possible.” However, a mischievous glint fshed in her eyes as she smirked and said, “If you decide to take the Hunter Exam, you’re in for a surprise.”

  Larry raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Sounds iing. I’ll keep that in mind.” He knew Menchi would be one of the examiners year, but he pyed along, smiling knowingly.With the meal fihe two retreated to their tents, the night sky above them filled with tless stars.***Three Days Later.“I gotta say… our luck really sucks.” Larry sighed, sing the vast desert dunes around them. They had spent three days searg for the elusive Pale Fang Scorpion, but so far, not a single sign of their target. They had stumbled across a rare wild Gilded t , but the scorpions remained as elusive as ever.

  Just as they were about to move on, an unwele sight appeared on the horizon. A group h-looking individuals approached—sand pirates. Larry’s gaze darkened as he assessed them. The group was light armor made of animal hide, det prote without sacrifig mobility. Their mounts, three-humped camels outfitted with iron pting, stomped across the sand, pulling carts loaded with stolen goods—Larry could even spot a fetured sandworms among the cargo.

  Sand pirates were a notorious mena Gordeau Desert. They thrived on preying on the weak, robbing travelers, and running at the first sign of real resistance. Larry’s appearance—along with Menchi’s youthful fad Gardevoir’s exotic presence—made them prime targets in the pirates’ eyes. ting roughly twenty men, Larry reized this was a mid-sized grer than the usual small gangs scattered across the desert.

  The leader, a scar-faced maed atop a camel, exuded arrogance as he surveyed his potential prey. Beside him, a one-eyed pirate licked his lips and nudged his boss with a smirk. “Hey, boss… that woman looks real nice. Mind if I take her for myself?” His words sent ripples of excitement through the group, with many of them chiming in, calling dibs and arguing amongst themselves.

  Scarface shot the one-eyed pirate a gre and sneered, “Tch! You little punk, don’t even think about it. A beauty like that is mio enjoy!”

  The crude versation reached Larry and Menchi loud and clear. Larry sighed and rubbed his temples. He g Menchi, whose face was twitg with barely tained rage. The blue veins on her forehead were visible, pulsing with fury. Casually taking a sip from his teen, Larry asked, “So… you wanna hahis, or should I?”

  Menchi took a deep breath, her face twisting into an ulingly sweet smile. “I’ll ha.” Her footsteps ched against the fine sand as she walked forward, each step leaving a deep imprint. The sand pirates burst into ughter, mog her approach. Only a few of them, more experiehan the rest, instinctively gripped their ons.

  With a sharp flick of her hands, a surge of Nen burst from Menchi’s palms, radiating intense pressure. In an instant, two massive silver knives and forks materialized behind her, gleaming uhe sun’s harsh light.

  The ons weren’t just for show—their sharp edges emitted a deadly aura, and the way they hovered in the air exuded a sense of trol and mastery. The pirates’ ughter died down, repced by stunned silence. Scarfaarrowed his eyes. "What... What the hell is this?!""Knives and forks?! How such giant knives and forks suddenly appear?!""Idiot! Run for it!"The chaotic shouts of the sand pirates didn't st long.

  The moment Menchi materialized her massive knives and forks, she sent them flying toward the bandits at high speed. Each strike carried the destructive force of a greearing through their formation with terrifying precision.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  A series of deafening explosions echoed across the desert, sending plumes of sand flying into the night sky. Within moments, the once-rowdy group of bandits was reduced to nothing but remnants buried uhe shifting duhe same men who had ughed at Menchi just moments ago now found their ughter silenced—permaly. If there was a hell, they were already ughing there.

  Larry, watg the se unfold, couldn't help but think of a certain gourmet martial artist from Toriko, who wielded his hands like knives and forks to carve through oppos with ease. "These guys really had no idea who they were messing with," Larry muttered, shaking his head.

  The sand pirates were nothing more than a minor invenien their jourheir focus remained unged—the elusive Pale Fang Scorpion.

  Five days ter... Deep in the heart of Gordeau Desert, in the eastern region of the Yorbian ti, Larry and Menchi set up camp as nightfall approached. Over the past few days, they had only spent one night iy, preferring to camp out in the wildero cover mround. Just as Larry was about to set down his tent, a sudde from Gardevoir caught his attention.

  "Shauna!" Gardevoir stood still, gazing ily at a spot in the sand not far away. Her usually calm expression had turned serious.

  Larry's eyes followed her gaze, and uhe moonlight, he saw a faint silver-white refle shimmering on the surface of the sand. “Finally found it?!” Larry's face lit up with excitement.

  Days of trekking through endless dunes, seeing nothing but sand and the occasional cactus, had nearly driven him to the edge. Menchi, equally excited, ched her fists. "We finally found the Pale Fang Scorpion?"

  After days uhe harsh sun, her inally fair skin had taken on a tan. If she stayed here any longer, Larry joked to himself, she'd start blending in with the locals. Without hesitation, Gardevoir vanished from her spot and reappeared mid-air above the dunes.

  A gentle breeze stirred, causing her light green hair to flutter in the moonlight. Closing her ruby-red eyes for a brief moment, she reached out with her mind. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, glowing with a soft pink hue as psychiergy surged around her arms. Despite the immense power, she trolled it with ease—there was not even a grain of sand disturbed beh her.

  Larry watched as a faint tremor rippled through the sand below. The Pale Fang Scorpion sensed danger and instinctively tried to burrow deeper, but it was too te. With a graceful flick of her wrist, Gardevoir lifted a massive Pale Fang Scorpion from the sand, eng it in a psychic field aly pg it in front of them.

  Larry blinked in disbelief at the scorpion lying motionless, its legs twitg slightly. “I... I was ready to give up, and now it's right in front of me?”

  Just as he was about to celebrate, Menchi gasped beside him. “This... This isn’t an ordinary Pale Fang Scorpion!”

  Larry sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I k was too good to be true…”